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Interview question · Identity, OAuth & Access Control

SAML single sign-on keeps producing critical vulnerabilities. What goes wrong in service providers, and how do you review an integration?

The signature verifies, and the application reads a different element than the one that was signed. Most SAML bugs are some version of that sentence.

hardNewPreparation tags: Microsoft, Google, SalesforceUpdated Nov 2026

The signature verifies, and the application reads a different element than the one that was signed. Most SAML bugs are some version of that sentence.

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What would you say before reading the answer?

  1. 01 State the assumptions your answer depends on.
  2. 02 Explain the mechanism and choose a control.
  3. 03 Name a condition that would change your decision.

The worked answer includes an approach, scoring criteria and follow-up questions. Compare the reasoning with your own.

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What if · the follow-ups in this answer

The answer works through 6 follow-ups like an interviewer would

You are reviewing a service provider's SAML integration before launch, and it uses a general-purpose XML library to read the assertion.

  1. Why is SAML verification hard to get right?
  2. What is signature wrapping?
  3. Which configuration mistakes are common?
  4. What other checks matter?
  5. What about parser differences and comments?
  6. What would you require before launch?

Each rung has a nudge, a model answer, the principle that carries over and the weak answer to avoid. Premium opens every answer and ladder.

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